Follow-up report: Meeting of the Fiat 500 Club Italia in Florence on 24 April 2022
Fiat 500 Club Italia meeting in Florence – a report by Amsycora, our representative for Italy
Photos: UMDC-Unmondodicolori
23 April 2022 – Florence, Santa Maria Novella station: I was 18 when I was last here – more than 40 years back in time, but it’s still the same sounds, the same smells, the same bustle. Italia, Toscana, Firenze! I’m glad to be back in this wonderful city after a long train journey that started quite early today in Munich. On behalf of Axel Gerstl, I am going visit the Fiat 500 Club Italia, Florence section. Ringo Ducci, the local representative of the association, had promised to pick me up, what I’m grateful for. The only thing is: Where is he? What does someone called Ringo look like? Beatles hairstyle? No, simply no one here is waiting for someone, apart from the couples who stroll out of the station kissing and holding each other tightly. Ringo is on the phone immediately: “I sent my wife to pick you up.” Well, what does someone married to a guy called Ringo look like? He gives me his wife’s phone number and, in fact, we manage to find each other in the packed station. Soon I’m sitting in a small car, probably a Japanese brand, and we drive off. The Japanese car emits slightly hysterical beeps, but its driver ignores it, and soon, the car gives up beeping. However, driving is not quite the right expression, we rather wobble through the streets of Florence.
We arrive at the hotel where I’m accommodated with other Fiat 500 teams, some of whom I’m introduced to right away. Now, I also meet Ringo. A burly man with croppy grey hair, who is always laughing, with a Fiat 500 Club Italia logo inked into the back of his head. He apologises for being in a hurry, still having to cart a lot of things all over the place. No problem, I’ve already being welcomed to the 500 family and will soon be sitting at dinner with Cesare Grignani, member of the Fiat 500 Club Italia administrative board and his wife Silvia. They want to know about my job. When I tell them, they cannot hide a hint of scepticism: “You sell spare parts for the Fiat 500? From Germany?”
Next morning, I go straight to the car park where the 500s of the participants are parked. Those who really love their Fiat get up early and rub their Cinquino dry from the nightly rain: Alessandro Vinotti, Vice-President of the Fiat 500 Club Italia and main organiser of the Garlenda meeting, is already there, lovingly polishing a grey Bianchina. Around 10 am, it’s time to line up for the cruise through the city. Luciano, 72 years old, a true Florentine, takes me along.
We arrive at Piazzale Michelangelo, a unique panoramic view overlooking Florence. To the left, the dome by Brunelleschi and on the right, “David” by Michelangelo. In between, 100 colourful cars and much hustle and bustle.
Registrations are made, bags with giveaways are handed out and numbers are assigned. More and more Fiat 500s are arriving all the time. The girls from the “quadrumvirate” at the beer table, who are responsible for the registration, do a perfect job: Form, name, number, bag. Next please!
Since we can only stay here until 12 o’clock, there’s some briefing with the megaphone and off we go. On the way to the restaurant, a photographer will take photos of the passing cars. He instructs us to drive onto the bridge one by one upon his hand signal. We’re crossing the city, driving along the river Arno. People along the streets stop and take photos with their mobile phones.
Next, we’re heading for the hills of Tuscany via Fiesole. It’s a narrow and winding road. Quote from Luciano: “This is the first time I’m driving on this road.” Tuscany is beautiful and he loves it, as he proudly emphasises after every turn. If it only weren’t for the fog and rain. The latter increasingly turns into hail, it’s getting uncomfortable, all window panes are fogging up and I try to wipe the windscreen clear with my handkerchief.
We finally arrive at the restaurant and take our seats. I’m introduced to Carlo Perino from Fiat 500 Club Italia, Turin section, Fabio Grosso from Fiat 500 Club Italia, Rome section and Agostino Pellegrino from Fiat 500 Club Italia, Milan section. I also meet Stelio Yannoulis, Honorary Chairman of the Fiat 500 Club Italia. The place is absolutely cramped. Ringo and the members of the Fiat 500 Club Italia bring along a barrel from which numbers are drawn. The winners cheer and pick out their prizes from the bags, it’s a funfair atmosphere. While all this is happening, we’re having our meals and at five o’clock in the afternoon, we’re still waiting for dessert.
Of course, you can ponder what the point of all this is, and whether it’s ecological or sustainable. The exhilarated atmosphere in the dining room gives the answer to this, and one particular sentence is often heard: “At last, we can come together again!” I think this is what it’s all about: The journey is the reward. By the way, we didn’t drive more than 20 kilometres. And yet another advantage of these meetings: All the money from the raffle will be donated, preferably to organisations caring for sick or elderly people or also to social institutions. In this case, the proceeds of EUR 1,000 were subdivided between “ATT Associazione Tumori Toscana” and “Misericordia di Campi Bisenzio”, an organisation that offers a broad range of relief services to people who have got into difficulties.
Picture gallery: Meeting of the Fiat 500 Club Italia in Florence 2022
